Wildfire closes I-90 east of Ellensburg; westbound lanes and one eastbound lane reopen

Originally published July 20, 2018 at 7:12 am
Updated July 20, 2018 at 6:06 pm

A wildfire, seen in an image tweeted by the Washington State Department of Transportation’s account for Snoqualmie Pass, shut down I-90 near Ellensburg for the second time this month. Westbound lanes reopened Friday morning. (WSDOT)

The fire that started on Thursday grew "significantly" overnight, according to Washington's Department of Natural Resources.

“It’s a fast, wind-driven fire on grassy land that burns rapidly,” said McCausland.

The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office ordered Level 3 evacuations, which mean leave immediately, to the Auvil Fruit Company and Getty’s Cove. A Level 2 evacuation warning, which means get ready to leave, was issued for Wanapum State Park.